REPORTED

QUESTIONS

Intermediate 2
There are two types of
questions:

a) Reported Wh-questions

b) Reported yes / no questions

 Let’s see how we change the type
a) wh-questions into reported speech.

a) Peter asked Mary, “Who did you meet at the party

last night?”

Mary can report what Peter said like this:

Peter asked Mary who she had met at the party

the night before / the previous night.
When you report a wh-question into reported question, you
will see that:

~ the introductory verb is asked, not said;

~ the question word who is kept;
~ the word order becomes subject (she)  verb (met)
~ the substance ends with a full stop(.);
not a question mark(?) and
~ the verb tense, pronoun and time expression change in
the same way as in reported statements.
 Now, let’s practise some questions.

Exercise 1
a)

Where is my
book?

Direct question: Dora asked Tom, “Where is my book?”

Reported questions: Dora asked Tom where her book was.

b) What are you
doing this
afternoon?

Direct question: Mark asked Helen, “What are you doing this
afternoon?”

Reported Mark asked Helen what she was doing

question: that afternoon.
 Here change the type b) yes / no questions into
reported questions.

When you report a yes / no question, you need to use if. Don’t forget to
change any verb tenses, pronouns and time expressions.

e.g. (a)
Are you ready to go
swimming?

John asked Bill if he was ready to go swimming.

b
) Did you take my
handbag yesterday?

Alice asked if I had taken her handbag the

day before / the previous day.
 It’s the time to practise!
Exercise 2: Are you going to the
concert with your
a)
brother next Friday?

Direct question: Bob asked Mimi, “Are you going to the concert with
your brother next Friday?”

Reported question: Bob asked Mimi if she was going to the concert with
her brother the following Friday.
b)
Were you at Alice’s
party last night?

Direct question: Ann asked Paul, “Were you at Alice’s party

last night? ”

Reported question: Ann asked Paul if he had been at Alice’s party

the previous night / the night before.
Relevant Websites:

http://www.telenex.hku.hk

http://www.english4us.com/